Charlie Crist tipped as John McCain’s running mate

Times UK ^

[bshomoic]

. . .

“Charlie would give Elvis a run for his money,” said Ken Pruitt, the Republican leader in the Florida state Senate. “That’s how popular he is in Florida. If McCain wants to win this state in November, Charlie Crist is a no-brainer [as running mate].”

The unforeseen emergence of a youthful, dynamic, and hugely popular Republican governor - think of a skinnier Arnold Schwarzenegger, without the Austrian accent - has added a tantalising twist to the 2008 White House race.

Whether McCain chooses Crist or not - and much may depend on who wins the Democratic battle - Republicans believe they may have found a candidate with the glamour, charisma and political substance to challenge Barack Obama in 2012 or beyond.

[ConservativeMind]

A RINO on a ticket with a RINO.

Yup, I won’t be voting McCain this fall.

[Question Liberal Authority]

If the oldest presidential candidate ever can’t win Florida all by himself, he’s going to have problems in the other 49 states.

[kingattax]

charlie is an empty suit

[libbylu]

Am I wrong or is he hugely popular with dems, not conservatives? I would hate like heck to think crist could end up being president.
I will definitely vote dem if he is the VP.

[bshomoic]

Florida has a “resign to run” law - meaning Crist would be forced to resign as governor the moment he accepted a VP nomination. That’s a pretty big gamble to take. I don’t think he’ll do it.

[Marak]

Does this mean Crist will be able to afford a house now?

[Lancey Howard]

"Charlie Crist is a no-brainer"

That's an understatement, and that choice would sink McCain.
He may as well jam a fork in his eye.

[Lancey Howard]

I don’t think he’ll do it.

Reports I've seen here indicate Crist is practically begging for the VP slot.

[Junior_G]

I guess that means Jeb Bush is free to take the VP spot.

[Junior_G]

I guess that means Jeb Bush is free to take the VP spot.

[bshomoic]

Reports I've seen here indicate Crist is practically begging for the VP slot

Not sure why. Aside from Cheney, being a VP means going to funerals and not much more than that.. well actually, perhaps Crist figures he'd be going to McCain's funeral sooner rather than later, and that's why he's interested.

[Grunthor]

“Charlie Crist tipped as John McCain’s running mate”

What is his wife like?

[Soliton]

McCain isn’t going to be president, so it doesn’t much matter who he choses for VP.

[Lancey Howard]

Not sure why.

Hint: McCain, if he wins, will be the oldest President to ever win the office.

[Conservatives_Unite]

I think I’ll vote for the anti-Crist

[jonrick46]

All McCain has to do is keep from falling off the stage. And the women had better throw out something better than orthopedic underwear!

[rawhide]

Misleading headline! Made it sound like it was a done deal. It ain’t! Whew!

[libbylu]

lololol..... would be nice for us to get rid of him.

[KDD]

Reports I've seen here indicate Crist is practically begging for the VP slot

I’ve seen nothing indicating such from either the Tampa Tribune or the St. Pete Times. Where “here” are you talking about?

[JerseyHighlander]

I see, the guy who divorced his dieing first wife on her death bed so he could go shack up with a crazy trustfund babe is going to select a never married skirt chaser who prides himself on bagging very wealthy country club widows.

It’s like the RINOS really wished they elected John kerry in 2004 so they decided to make an amalgamated ticket of all of Kerry’s worst qualities.

[VeniVidiVici]

Rumour control from the palace guard in Tallhassee is that Charlie has a live-in significant other that is not of the opposite sex. Of course, we always suspected this but I don’t think Charlie is ready to have his background turned insideout by climbing on the the McCain ticket.

[Rome2000]

Times UK are retarded.

Crist is a weirdo.

This will not happen in a thousand years.

[fire and forget]

Please re-consider that.

[ASOC]

WOuldn’t the Brits love this?

Then again, they haven’t had a lot of say about who runs things here since, say, the late 1700s......

[Lancey Howard]

Check out the last few paragraphs of this one:
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=7d469394-9358-4921-9a00-f6c6f448942d

This one says , “The speculation about Crist has been brewing for months, and with a McCain ticket the odds seem to improve that Crist goes to Washington.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1967384/posts

This next one’s title is supposed to say “Talking up McCain..”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968307/posts

Hope this helps. (Don’t forget that FR has a “Search” function.)

FRegards,
LH

[fire and forget]

McCain’s our guy, painful as that is to digest. Hopefully he taps a strong conservative as running-mate, but we’d be grossly irresponsible NOT VOTING knowing our options.

Imagine for a moment the cost of having Hillary or Hussein as president. PLEASE don't make me recall the displeasure of bringing this up.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Charlie Crist is a no-brainer

Truer words were never spoken, but perhaps not in the way intended.

[Thud]

Crist would be a good choice if Obama is the Democratic nominee, as that would deliver Florida to the GOP. Otherwise Florida would be a battleground choice against a Democratic ticket headed by Obama.

Ideology has nothing to do with this. It's about electoral votes. If Hillary is the Democratic nominee, Giuliani would probably be a better choice because he'd secure Pennsylvania better than anyone else. In addition to providing badly needed executive experience.

But the Democrats will probably choose Obama, in which case I agree McCain should name Crist as his running mate.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

What is his wife like?

LOL! Charlie hasn't introduced HIM to the public!

[Paul8148]

The other thing is if Crist takes FL off the table that means the Campign can put more money in other states.

[Paul8148]

Plus ain’t the LT. Gov an Afican American

[SoConPubbie]

The other thing is if Crist takes FL off the table that means the Campign can put more money in other states.

Crist, or any other Moderate as VP, will absolutely nail the coffin shut on any changes McAmnesty might have to actually see the presidency.

As it is, McCain is heading to an electoral disaster.

[Paul8148]

Charlie can marry a Latino before he gets named VP.

[KDD]

The religious right pulled out all the stops with such smears against Crist when they were trying to get their preferred candidate Tom Gallagher elected. None of them, including the rumor smear you repeated was ever shown to be true and most Floridians were still PO'd over the Randal Terry sideshow in Pinellas Co. over the Schiavo case. Most Floridians(nearly 80%)agreed with Attorney General Crist that his office had no jurisdiction in the case. Charlie Crist felt that Jebb Bush overstepped his boundaries as Governor in that case. Floridians agreed. Crist won the election over Gallagher by a nearly 2-1 ratio.

Other then Lee County and perhaps a few counties in the Panhandle, the religious right does not exert the political influence here that it does in some southern States. Charlie could help him win Florida. But that won't be enough to put him over the top nationally.

[VeniVidiVici]

Charlie can marry a Latino before he gets named VP.

I think Bill Richardson is already spoken for.

[Thud]

The campaign budget issue you mentioned is a wash because it applies to both sides. Which means Crist would be a net gain for the GOP.

[M203M4]

It’s like the RINOS really wished they elected John kerry in 2004 so they decided to make an amalgamated ticket of all of Kerry’s worst qualities.

Hey, you never know, we could still get the real thing. If Clinton manages to claim the rat nomination, the Kennedy-Obama coterie could make things interesting, persuading John McCain to put his good friend John Kerry on the ticket (a truly bipartisan screw-America ticket - just like a regular screw-America ticket, except there will be a bipartisan consensus on the best method of screwing). John "stuck in Iraq" Kerry will revive his "Reporting For Doodie" shtick, and add in something about "transcending party lines to find real solutions for ending America's problems greatness".

If the Obama tent revival collapses in on the press, and such a John-John scenario as above unfolds, I imagine that the MSM will be confused about who to back for the first time since the dawn of color TV.

[libbylu]

I guess it depends. Conservatives do not like Crist best I can tell. Being in Florida I will vote dem before i vote mccain/crist. they are democrats. of course i quit being a republican. Crist being president is scarier than obama. Gee, talk about experience, he has been governor barely a year.

[johnthebaptistmoore]

Mike Pence would truly make a better VP. My disappointment with Pence is on his pro-amnesty for illegal immigrants position, but Pence is also 100% conservative on all of the other issues.

[VeniVidiVici]

The religious right pulled out all the stops with such smears against Crist when they were trying to get their preferred candidate Tom Gallagher elected.

That's fine, Bubba. You can believe what you wish. But when Crist pulls a McGreevey I'll look up this thread and ping you.

[Brandie]

Two rino's! Goodbye RNC and GOP, see you when you decide to get your feet back on the ground.

I will be looking forward to voting on Congressional races instead.

[TigersEye]

...think of a skinnier Arnold Schwarzenegger,...

Good analogy. A skinnier, gayer more RINO Ahnold.

[TigersEye]

Oh, please. Tell us all about it. /s

[sushiman]

America will fall ...won’t be long now ...we had a damn good run ...but it’s over .

[dennisw]

McCain-Crist won't happen because too much white hair. Especially if Obama is running. Also gay rumors for Crist. I loath Crist but voted for him because he's not a Democrat. He's an Arnold Schwarzenegger style Republican.

[sushiman]

A formula for disaster .

[Azzurri]

Can the GOP be any more dense this year? First, they were handed a gift when the Dems narrowed their choices down to two weak candidates (Obama and Hillary). The Republicans squander that by nominating a weak candidate of their own, McCain. Now, McCain may tap Charlie Crist...a guy who has been dogged by rumors that he’s gay. For crying out loud, what has happened to the Grand Old Party?

[skr]

Mr. Crist has been divorced since 1979. Rumors abound about his love life. I can’t imagine why he’s allegedly so popular; he’s certainly no Jeb Bush.

[Recovering_Democrat]

Won’t happen...Crist with McCain, I mean. McCain must move right with his veep choice to have a chance.

Joe, florida ping?